Albemarle panel backs streamlined staff review for rooftop solar in entrance corridors

The Albemarle County Planning Commission voted May 26 to recommend approval of a zoning text amendment that would add rooftop solar installations as a new, countywide category of certificate of appropriateness for entrance corridors.

Margaret Malaszewski, a planning division manager, told commissioners the change (TA‑2025‑004) responds to the Architectural Review Board's recommendation after it reviewed three solar applications last year and would let staff handle straightforward rooftop solar proposals under design criteria the ARB will set. "The amendment would simplify the review process," Malaszewski said, and help the county meet goals in its climate action plan.

Commissioners asked for clarity on what would trigger a denial under staff review. Malaszewski said ARB‑adopted design criteria—panel layout and configuration, how panels relate to roof slope, mounting height and visibility of ancillary equipment—will guide staff decisions. "The criteria the ARB is considering are things like how the panels are arranged on the roof, the configuration of the panels and how far off the roof they are," she said.

The commission's recommendation now moves the amendment forward to the Board of Supervisors for final action. Staff emphasized the change only affects process—who reviews small rooftop installations—and that larger or atypical projects would still follow existing ARB procedures.